Puppet Masters

Erdogan's Russian roulette - was it only about oily revenge or was there something more slippery behind it?

F. William Engdahl
New Eastern Outlook
Sat, 28 Nov 2015 20:48 UTC

All publicly available intelligence surrounding the deliberate and illegal shoot-down of the Russian SU-34 fighter-bomber over Syrian airspace on November 24 by planes of the Turkish Air Force indicate the action was pre-meditated and carefully so. The relevant question is by whom and for what end or ends? The Russian Prime Minister has pointed to Turkey's losses from the destruction by the Russian bombing campaign of the last days of the illegal oil ISIS terrorists were smuggling from seized oilfields in Mosul. That may be only the tip of a very big iceberg.

First it's important to look closely at Turkey's role in facilitating the illegal oil smuggling that is reportedly the major funding source for IS terror gangs in Syria and Iraq. In August in an article I wrote for this website I documented the fact that the Harvard-educated 35-year-old son of Turkish President Erdogan, Bilal Erdogan, was up to his eyeballs in smuggling stolen Iraqi oil via Turkey to select markets. That illegal oil finances the major activities of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, a point of which Russia's Putin gently reminded US President Obama and others at the recent Antalya, Turkey G-20 meeting. Fourteen months of alleged US bombings of ISIS targets never once went after the oil chain from Mosul and other ISIS occupied sites through Turkey onto tankers owned by Bilal Erdogan's tanker companies.

Comment: For more information about the shooting down of the Russian SU-34 fighter bomber. Read:

Always the last to know: Did Turkish government find out about shoot-down of Russian jet after the fact?

NATO Orders Stool-Pigeon Turkey to Shoot Down Russian Jet

The unprecedented nightmare of Donald Trump's campaign: We've openly begun using the F-word in American politics

Heather Digby Parton
Salon
Sun, 29 Nov 2015 21:35 UTC

The bizarre spectacle of Trump's candidacy has one word on everyone's mind: "Fascism"

Over the past week or so, something unusual has happened in American politics: political figures, mainstream scholars and commentators are describing a leading contender for president of the United States as a fascist. Sure, people on barstools around the country have done this forever but it's unprecedented to see such a thing on national television and in the pages of major newspapers.

For instance, take a look at this piece by MJ Lee at CNN:

[I]t it was after Trump started calling for stronger surveillance of Muslim-Americans in the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks that a handful of conservatives ventured to call Trump's rhetoric something much more dangerous: fascism.

[...]

"Trump is a fascist. And that's not a term I use loosely or often. But he's earned it," tweeted Max Boot, a conservative fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who is advising Marco Rubio.

"Forced federal registration of US citizens, based on religious identity, is fascism. Period. Nothing else to call it," Jeb Bush national security adviser John Noonan wrote on Twitter.

Conservative Iowa radio host Steve Deace, who has endorsed Ted Cruz, also used the "F" word last week: "If Obama proposed the same religion registry as Trump every conservative in the country would call it what it is — creeping fascism."

Europe is Kaput. Long live Europe! - Philosopher Slavoj Žižek and former Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, discuss Europe's future

Southbank Centre
Youtube
Mon, 23 Nov 2015 20:09 UTC

With the recent economic crisis in Greece, unprecedented challenges to centralized European policy, and the lack of consensus on the ongoing refugee crisis, many would agree that Europe faces its greatest ever predicament.

Slavoj Žižek, regarded as 'the most dangerous philosopher in the West' (The New Republic), and Yanis Varoufakis, self-described 'erratic Marxist' and economic 'rock-star' (Business Insider and other publications), met in Croatia in 2013.

They have never appeared together on the public stage - until now. Take your seat to hear them discuss the urgent task of building a different and more democratic Europe.

The conversation explores the contradictions of late capitalism and some of the solutions that might just save the European project. It is moderated by Croatian philosopher Srecko Horvat and followed by a Q&A session.

Russian airstrikes have stopped NATO's terrorist convoys dead in their tracks

Tony Cartalucci
New Eastern Outlook
Sun, 29 Nov 2015 20:21 UTC

For years, NATO has granted impunity to convoys packed with supplies bound for ISIS and Al Qaeda. Russian airstrikes have stopped them dead in their tracks. If a legitimate, well-documented aid convoy carrying humanitarian supplies bound for civilians inside Syria was truly destroyed by Russian airstrikes, it is likely the world would never have heard the end of it.

Instead, much of the world has heard little at all about a supposed "aid" convoy destroyed near Azaz, Syria, at the very edge of the Afrin-Jarabulus corridor through which the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Qaeda's remaining supply lines pass, and in which NATO has long-sought to create a "buffer zone" more accurately described as a Syrian-based, NATO-occupied springboard from which to launch terrorism deeper into Syrian territory.

The Turkish-based newspaper Daily Sabah reported in its article, "Russian airstrikes target aid convoy in northwestern Syrian town of Azaz, 7 killed," claims:

At least seven people died, 10 got injured after an apparent airstrike, reportedly by Russian jets, targeted an aid convoy in northwestern Syrian town of Azaz near a border crossing with Turkey on Wednesday.

Comment: Russia has cleaned up house in Syria, putting the lie to NATO propaganda that they would get 'bogged down' in a rerun of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. In the process, they've nullified NATO's plans to turn Syria into a breeding ground for terrorists. Good on Russia.

Also see:

Actually Russia is winning in Syria

ISIS defenses 'falling apart' as Syrian Army fights to take back city of Aleppo

States hostile to Syria boost support to militants due to Syrian victories, says Assad

Sputnik News
Sun, 29 Nov 2015 22:01 UTC

Syrian President Bashar Assad during a meeting with the chief adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Akbar Velayati said in Damascus that "countries hostile to Syria" have increased the supply of arms and financial support to militants in connection with the successes of the Syrian army, supported by Russia and Iran.

"The success of the Syrian army in the fight against terrorism with the support of friends, especially Russia and Iran, has pushed some countries hostile to Syria to escalate the situation and increase the funding and supply of arms to militants," SANA news agency reported Bashar Assad as saying.

The president stressed that Syria and its partners would continue to vigorously combat all forms of terrorism, as they are confident that their destruction would be a major step toward stability in the region and in the world. It will also open the door to a political settlement in Syria, he added.

Comment: See also:

ISIS defenses 'falling apart' as Syrian Army fights to take back city of Aleppo

Sputnik
Sun, 29 Nov 2015 19:36 UTC

The Syrian government forces have gained the upper hand in their fight against Islamic State (ISIL) terrorists in the eastern part of Aleppo province and have advanced near Deir Hafer region, FARS news agency reported.

If Deir Hafer is captured by the Syrian Army's elite special operation unit known as the Tiger Forces the Syrian troops will be in position to re-enter Raqqa province after being expelled by ISIL in August 2014.

Comment: And of course Raqqa is a critical ISIL stronghold:

Nowhere to hide: ISIL fighters fleeing Raqqa amid Russian air campaign

Islamic State oil trade full frontal: 'Raqqa's Rockefellers', Bilal Erdogan, KRG Crude, and the Israel connection

Currently, the Tiger Forces are within 5 kilometers from the Western district of Deir Hafer, having left the militants in a vulnerable position with very little resources to counter the offensive, a military source told FARS News.

Comment: Deadly Russian T-90 tanks arrive in Syria's Aleppo to join army's combat on terrorists

Erdogan shot Turkey's economy in the foot when Turkey shot down Russian bomber

Sputnik News
Sun, 29 Nov 2015 18:37 UTC

Ankara's decision to shoot down a Russian bomber over Syria has dealt a blow to four sectors of the Turkish economy, Russian lawmaker Alexei Pushkov commented on Russia's sanctions against Turkey.

"It's already clear that Erdogan fired an air-to-air missile at the Turkish economy. Four sectors of the Turkish economy will be hit," he said.

First, tourism will be badly damaged, according to the lawmaker.

Annually, Turkey earned $3.5-4 billion on Russian tourists, which accounts for 12-18 percent of its overall tourist industry," he said.

Second, Turkish companies doing business in Russia will also be affected. According to Pushkov, last year their overall income was estimated 50 billion rubles ($750 million).

Comment: See also:

Deadly Russian T-90 tanks arrive in Syria's Aleppo to join army's combat on terrorists

FARS News Agency
Sun, 29 Nov 2015 14:16 UTC

The Syrian Army's 4th Mechanized Division has deployed their newly-arrived T-90 advanced Tanks to the Southern Aleppo front for the first time in order to continue their push to the towns of Kafraya and Al-Fou'aa, military sources said Sunday.

The T-90 Tank offers the Syrian army several features their T-55 and T-72 models do not, including a 2A46M 125 smoothbore tank gun; a four-stroke V-12 piston engine; and most importantly, the Kontakt-5 ERA (explosive reactive armor).

Much of the success the ISIL have experienced in Northern Syria has come from their US manufactured anti-tank TOW missile; however, with the Kontakt-5 ERA, the T-90 Tanks should be strong enough to endure the impact from the TOW missile.

Comment: Russia is deadly serious in wiping out the Islamic State militants.

State secret revealed: Turkey arrests generals for stopping Syria-bound trucks 'filled with arms'

Sputnik
Sun, 29 Nov 2015 13:59 UTC

Two Turkish generals and a colonel were detained on Saturday for intercepting Syria-bound trucks that belonged to Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT), the newspaper Today's Zaman reported.

In January 2014, Ankara Gendarmerie Major-General Ibrahim Aydin, former Adana Gendarmerie Brigadier-General Hamza Celepoglu and former Gendarmerie Criminal Laboratory Head Colonel Burhanettin Cihangiroglu stopped Syrian-bound trucks in southern Turkey after they received information from an anonymous source that the trucks were illegally carrying weapons to militants in Syria.

Comment: The troubles keep on coming for Erdogan. More friction between Erdogan and the military. How much longer can he last in power?

Russian counter-measures primed to deal major damage to Turkish economy

Sputnik
Sun, 29 Nov 2015 13:26 UTC

Political tensions are traditionally followed by a disruption of economic ties. Thus, the recently announced Russian economic measures against Turkey were expected.

"The decision to impose sanctions against Turkey was logical and predictable for countries having political tensions. This is the reality of international relations," economic expert Sergei Khestanov told Rossyiskaya Gazeta.

Russia is Turkey's second-largest trade partner, after Germany. In turn, Turkey accounts only for four percent (4.9 percent in exports, and 2.3 percent in imports) in Russia's total foreign trade.

Despite the fact that Russia's exports to Turkey by value surpass imports ($15 billion against $3 billion), Turkey sells Russia a wide range of products, including fruits and vegetables as well as machines and their parts.

Comment: Also see: Islamic State oil trade full frontal: 'Raqqa's Rockefellers', Bilal Erdogan, KRG Crude, and the Israel connection

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Puppet Masters

Erdogan's Russian roulette - was it only about oily revenge or was there something more slippery behind it?

The unprecedented nightmare of Donald Trump's campaign: We've openly begun using the F-word in American politics

Europe is Kaput. Long live Europe! - Philosopher Slavoj Žižek and former Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, discuss Europe's future

Russian airstrikes have stopped NATO's terrorist convoys dead in their tracks

States hostile to Syria boost support to militants due to Syrian victories, says Assad

ISIS defenses 'falling apart' as Syrian Army fights to take back city of Aleppo

Erdogan shot Turkey's economy in the foot when Turkey shot down Russian bomber

Deadly Russian T-90 tanks arrive in Syria's Aleppo to join army's combat on terrorists

State secret revealed: Turkey arrests generals for stopping Syria-bound trucks 'filled with arms'

Russian counter-measures primed to deal major damage to Turkish economy

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